VH1 Resources

[Ladakh]

I would like a tiny corner of this place to talk about VALIANT 1991-1996. This might not be the right spot for this discussion and for that matter, none of you may even care to discuss it in light of the new books.

I took a quick survey of all the VH1 books 650ish. I asked myself "I have a short box. Which 100 books go in it?" and searched all the titles and issues and came up with 50%... 300+ books I would want to keep. The other 300 can go. I am not being mean, but what I mean is- what do you guys think? Can you come up with a list of 100 keepers and throw out the rest? You know... sinking ship, can only take so much; the Nazis are invading tomorrow etc...

[FormerReader]

Pre-unity and Unity if story is the only thing that is taken into consideration.

[bamaphilosopher]

Hey, I don't mind talking about VH1 anytime, along with VEI, I figure that's what this board is for. I mean, if the board decides to have a separate VH1 talk section, I guess I'd go along with it, but I think it's fine as is to bring VH1 up on the main board. That's just my opinion.

Personally, I keep all my pre-Unity and Unity in thick mylar, in a separate comic box, and I used to keep them in a short box. Now, I've put them in a long box along with my VEI rare variants, which I also keep in mylar. This is my "I'm not going to ever touch these again" collection, though I look at the covers often, and lovingly.

The rest of VH1 Valiant, after Unity, I keep in regular bags and boards, back in the closet. I don't touch them either, really, because I have all of VH1 on my Comic Book Reader, digital copies.

VEI regulars I keep in another long box in my room, regular bags and boards, next to my mylar collectibles box, so I can read them and read them often.

So, basically, VEI and pre-Unity/Unity are in my "place of honor," in my room where I look at them often, the rest are back in the closet somewhere and I haven't looked at them in years.

I'll probably read all of VH1 in digital format for story ideas to submit to VEI, but the only post-Unity titles I think I'll even enjoy are Eternal Warrior, Shadowman, A & A until BWS left, and Second Life of Dr. Mirage. The Malev War was interesting, but went on too long. X-O Manowar was good UNTIL they killed Shanhara, then went to pot. Timewalker was kind of interesting, but should have been done better.

Other than that, meh. I don't like any of the post-Unity team books (H.A.R.D. Corps, Armorines, Secret Weapons, Ps-Lords, etc., etc. - I just don't think they did team books well at all, except for maybe Rai and the Future Force, which was okay, though a silly title, and Harbinger was okay, but would've been better with the original team).

I don't know how others feel, but I imagine I'm not alone in thinking pre-Unity and Unity was the best stuff VH1 ever did. After that, they gradually quit caring, and it shows, I think.

So Unity and pre-Unity is what, 50-60 books or so? If I had to fill out another 40 issues to fill a short box, I'd maybe go with the BWS A & A and Eternal Warrior issues, some X-O Manowar prior to 25, and then the rest would be a toss-up between Second Life, the rest of Eternal Warrior, or the rest of Shadowman.

But again, I've chosen to put VEI rare variants with my pre-Unity and Unity.

I embrace VH1 as a very important part of the history, it's the foundation for everything VEI does, so I hope I'm not alone in thinking that VH1 should always be up for discussion. So I'm glad you brought it up.

[jmatt]

I would like a tiny corner of this place to talk about VALIANT 1991-1996. This might not be the right spot for this discussion and for that matter, none of you may even care to discuss it in light of the new books.

I took a quick survey of all the VH1 books 650ish. I asked myself "I have a short box. Which 100 books go in it?" and searched all the titles and issues and came up with 50%... 300+ books I would want to keep. The other 300 can go. I am not being mean, but what I mean is- what do you guys think? Can you come up with a list of 100 keepers and throw out the rest? You know... sinking ship, can only take so much; the Nazis are invading tomorrow etc...

Perhaps the Re-Reading Valiant is a good section for this.

[BugsySig]

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.

Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

Other than that, it depends on your own tastes, but I think those are essential and would put it right around 100.

[Elveen]

Early shadowman has to be included. Th blood running is great. In fact everything up until he leaves New Or. Is really good.

[Elveen]

And the solar xo books where they crossover is a good story.

[nscc]

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.

Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

Other than that, it depends on your own tastes, but I think those are essential and would put it right around 100.

That list looks great to me, I'd add bloodshot 0 to the mix (I always loved that book, especially the back cover), and as much shadowman as possible, although we are over 100 now for sure

[Ladakh]

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.
Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

You're leaving off too much- you completly cut out Bloodshot and issue #1 is not really that praise-worthy... the Yvel Guichet stuff is really good. Aram in the 41st century is good. Ax in late Rai is good. You completly don't have Solar, who CREATED VH1!

[BugsySig]

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.

Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

Other than that, it depends on your own tastes, but I think those are essential and would put it right around 100.

That list looks great to me, I'd add bloodshot 0 to the mix (I always loved that book, especially the back cover), and as much shadowman as possible, although we are over 100 now for sure

I was thinking of adding all the chromium issues Bloodshot #0, Shadowman #0, Turok #1, etc

Early shadowman has to be included. Th blood running is great. In fact everything up until he leaves New Or. Is really good.

I agree more Shadowman should be included, but that includes a whole lot of the Bob Hall run and he said only 100 issues

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.
Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

You're leaving off too much- you completly cut out Bloodshot and issue #1 is not really that praise-worthy... the Yvel Guichet stuff is really good. Aram in the 41st century is good. Ax in late Rai is good. You completly don't have Solar, who CREATED VH1!

I included all the Unity and Pre-Unity issues for all the characters. That includes the first year + of Magnus (Steel Nation) and Solar (Alpha & Omega, etc).

I also find it difficult not to keep whole runs together. Harbinger through #25 is one complete story for me. Same with the BWS A&A and EW runs. That's why I didn't include more Shadowman...I wouldn't know where to stop!

It's all in your personal preference, of course. I prefer the early books and the ones that I think are significant for the line at the time (hence Bloodshot #1). I never really read much latter-day VH1 so, for me, those would comprise a Top 100.

[rkjock1]

I have these books/collections:

Magnus (Full Series)
Rai (Full Series)
Harbinger (Full Series)
Shadomwan (Full Series)

IMHO, these were the best of all VH1 titles

X-O (1-50ish)
Archer and Armstrong (1-12)
Solar TPB's 1-2
Valiant Era Collection
Unity TPB #1-4
Eternal Warrior #6-7
Psi-Lords (But only because it ties in heavily to later issues of Magnus/Rai)
Turok (Full Series, but mostly because it will likely never be reprinted)

[bamaphilosopher]

Pre-Unity and Unity for sure.

Individual runs:
Harbinger 0-25
Rai 0-8
A&A 0-12
XO 0-10 (or 15 if you're a Sears/Turok fan)
Eternal Warrior 1-8
Bloodshot 1

Other than that, it depends on your own tastes, but I think those are essential and would put it right around 100.

Pretty good list - that would include all the BWS stuff (EW 6,7, and 8 and A&A 0-12), which I think would be a must. And the XO Manowar stories following Unity are a nice follow-up to Unity. Same with Rai 8. And I agree on Harbinger up to 25. As long as that title had Sting, it was pretty good, I think.

To what someone else said about Solar: Pre-Unity and Unity Solar would be enough to establish the bedrock of the Valiant universe, I think. That's 12 or so issues of Solar plus Alpha and Omega. Otherwise, do you really have room for the whole Solar run? That's, what, 60 issues or so?

Bloodshot 1 I personally wouldn't include, but that's just a matter of preference.

Now, I do have a Bloodshot 1 in my mylar favorites box with my pre-Unity, Unity, and special covers, but only because I got it signed by Don Perlin and Kevin VanHook at a convention. Same with a couple of the early Bart Sears XO issues, because I got him to sign them. And others I have there because they're gold logos I got off ebay (like Psi-Lords 1 and Turok 1, which I otherwise wouldn't include).

[Ladakh]

I would like the collection to be the essential VH1 collection. How about 200 books- one long box.

I also want to take into account production runs because that I feel is signifigant. It's for that reason I'd leave Bloodshot #1 off but would include later issues. For that matter VH2 Bloodshot is AWESOME but that's another topic.

I would also add: How should people read these? Once again 5,000 years from now they remove the foundation stone and there's the one long box. Should they read it in release order?

[BugsySig]

I would like the collection to be the essential VH1 collection. How about 200 books- one long box.

I also want to take into account production runs because that I feel is signifigant. It's for that reason I'd leave Bloodshot #1 off but would include later issues. For that matter VH2 Bloodshot is AWESOME but that's another topic.

I would also add: How should people read these? Once again 5,000 years from now they remove the foundation stone and there's the one long box. Should they read it in release order?

If you make it 200, then that opens a whole can-o-worms for individual issues (most of which I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on).

As for order, I think one needs to read in release order at least through Unity and at the most until Chaos Effect. Anything after that can be read by title.

[bamaphilosopher]

I would like the collection to be the essential VH1 collection. How about 200 books- one long box.

I also want to take into account production runs because that I feel is signifigant. It's for that reason I'd leave Bloodshot #1 off but would include later issues. For that matter VH2 Bloodshot is AWESOME but that's another topic.

I would also add: How should people read these? Once again 5,000 years from now they remove the foundation stone and there's the one long box. Should they read it in release order?

Wow, expanding to 200? Then, whatever of them you like. In that case, personally, I'd include the full runs of Eternal Warrior and Shadowman, all the Tim Truman Turok issues, toss in Second Life of Dr. Mirage, and I'd probably include the Malev War - I thought that went on too long, but I did enjoy it overall and I liked Spylocke.

IMO, that's probably the best of VH1 after Unity; I'm sure I'm missing something. I'd probably have to read all of VH1 again and mine it for some other things I liked, if I had to fill a box with 200 issues. And some things might make it for art rather than story (like Bart Sears on later XO issues, Breyfogle on Bloodshot, etc.). Also, though many on here disagree with me, I kind of like Dan Jurgens, so I might include his Solar issues.

But like I said above, it's really pre-Unity and Unity that I treasure - the rest is lower in quality, IMO.

[Ladakh]

I see this site's resources are under reconstruction. I would like to make a list of post- Unity books worth being included, as well as all of you guys' thoughts.

Anyone know when the server will be back up?

[Aram]

Timewalker was kind of interesting, but should have been done better.

I think this sums up nearly every Valiant Title from those years.

Dr Mirage tops my list both for content and nostalgia. It was the only series I collected from the beginning and had a pull box for back in the old days. Though it went downhill after 13 due to not having Layton and Chang, I'd personally keep that even over everything but perhaps Magnus 0-12 Pre-Unity.

I'd need more clarification.. is the ship sinking but Very Slowly? Are the Nazi's still at least 1/2 a day or more away?

I actually recently tried to limit things down to only a short box and could not. I would have to break up sets that I did not want to. However I also went about rereading some books to determine absolutely what is most important to me.. and discovered some things just do not hold up outside of nostalgia and others I hadn't thought about were much higher on my list.

All I can say is.. I think Bob Hall was just hitting his stride at the end of Shadowman both story and art wise..

[bamaphilosopher]

However I also went about rereading some books to determine absolutely what is most important to me.. and discovered some things just do not hold up outside of nostalgia and others I hadn't thought about were much higher on my list.

I agree about nostalgia! There was a lot of stuff I was reading at the time and just enjoying because it was Valiant, like H.A.R.D. Corps, and I tried to reread it recently and it was painful how bad it was (IMO). Thankfully, the VEI version of H.A.R.D. Corps has been so much better.

At the time, I really enjoyed Chaos Effect. But again, because it was Valiant. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I reread that today, I'd consider it to be much worse than I did then. (I don't even remember ANYTHING about the Chaos Effect, except that Magnus came back to the current time.)

Heck, at the time Deathmate first came out, I was even sort of enjoying it. I was wearing rose-colored glasses. Now, I know that it sucked.

It was only a really, really, really bad issue of Archer and Armstrong that shook me from my Valiant loyalty and made me finally realize that the VH1 line had begun to suck. It was a sad day for me. I stopped buying. Years later, I got the rest of VH1 over ebay, and got digital copies. But I wasn't real impressed by anything I read at that time.

But, like you, there is probably some stuff in the later VH1 that I might enjoy if I reread them. Maybe this summer, I'll reread all of VH1, bravely forging through a lot of the post-Unity crap, and see if I can find some golden nuggets here and there.

[Ladakh]

My original list from glancing at the books was 300. It appears 100 is not enough- no one wants to break up the pre-Unity runs and I don't blame them.

[bamaphilosopher]

My original list from glancing at the books was 300. It appears 100 is not enough- no one wants to break up the pre-Unity runs and I don't blame them.

300 that you really enjoyed? Yeah, that sounds about right. Once I include the stuff I enjoyed, like the Malev War (even though it was a little long), and full runs of Shadowman, Eternal Warrior, and all the Tim Truman Turok, I'd probably end up with around 300 of VH1 that I liked.

I still like to keep my pre-Unity and Unity separate from the rest of VH1, though.

[the1captain]

While I have a lot of the vh1 from back in the day I never considered trying to collect more of it. But recently I've found myself scooping up a bunch in cheap bins. Got almost 30 issues of H.A.R.D corps for $5. Got issues 0-6 of Ninjak in a buck bin. For some reason I never got around to reading those before. Might start looking for Bloodshot and a few others if only really, really cheap.

I agree that some of it is really hard on the reread. But fun in a nostalgic way. Still really like the original Eternal Warrior. IMHO it is still better than the current series. At least the early issues.